With a fresh new report out from the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) and an upcoming hearing in the Senate Agriculture Committee over the reauthorization of the Child Nutrition Act, the issue of child nutrition seems to be getting a lot of attention lately.As the USA Today online reports, the recent report completed by the USDA for Congress shows that American schools have improved their efforts at identifying students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, “but among the states a considerable disparity remains [.]” Roughly 31 million children use the school lunch program each day to get free or low-cost lunches.
The report covers 2008-2009. According to the report, schools which used existing government records showing households that already receive food aid were able to more easily identify children who should be getting the lunch benefit as well. 78 percent of schools identified eligible children this way.
The top four states enrolled more than 90 percent of “students from households that receive food stamps,” while the bottom four only enrolled 50 percent or less of eligible children. Newly minted Senate Agriculture Committee Chair Blanche Lincoln issued this statement following the report’s release, ‘“The USDA report is strong evidence that direct certification is an effective way to increase school lunch participation for our students . . . As the Committee works to reauthorize the federal child nutrition programs set to expire next year, we will further explore additional means by which to expand and improve this successful tool, as well as other sensible ways to increase participation in child nutrition programs.”’
The Senate Agriculture Committee hearing on the reauthorization of the Child Nutrition Act is scheduled for Tuesday, November 17, 2009.
To read the USA Today article click here.
To read Chairman Lincoln’s press release on the issue click here.
Posted: 11/04/09
